thing is it when a Christian shall sinne against his conscience and that shall smite him as it did the Lepers in the midst of their jollity 2 King 7. 7. who said we doe not well to tarry here c. so when a mans conscience shall tell him O I doe not well to sweare to lye and yet that same man should goe on still in his wicked courses this is a pittifull thing therefore a man must take heed hee sinne not against his conscience if a man should have a snake or a worme crawling in his body or in his bowels though it should bee quiet sometimes yet upon every little occasion it should crawle and stirre about hee would thinke it were better to dye a thousand deaths but what is this to the worme of conscience that will torment a man for ever and ever and never dieth therefore as a learned man saith all other plagues a man may fly from but hee cannot fly from an evill conscience a man may fly from the plague from famine or from the injury of men but he cannot fly from an evil conscience whither soever he goeth that will with him if he goe into merry company or into his chamber into his closet or into any roome under the earth the secretest place that may bee his evill conscience will goe with him and pursue him like unto a man that hath an ague he thinkes if he were in this or in that place in this roome or in that hee should have ease but so long as hee carrieth the matter of his owne griefe about him he can have none so a man that hath an evill conscience hee may thinke to have peace in this place in this and that company but as long as he carrieth about him the matter of his griefe hee must never looke to have ease therefore wee must take heed of sinning against our conscience The second thing that made Pilate stand so stiffe for Christ was the admonition of his wife for Pilate being in the judgement seat shee sent him a message Matth. 27. To have nothing to doe with that just man in which message we observe divers things 1. The partie that sent the message Pilates Wife 2. The time when shee sent it when Pilato was upon the judgement seate 3. The tenour of the message have thou nothing to doe with that just man 4. The reason because I have suffered many things this night in a dreame touching Him First who it was that sent the message Pilates wife hence observe it is a good thing for women to stop and stay their husbands in the course of sinne they must labour to prevent them by good speeches and good admonitions for women were made to this end to be helpers to their husbands to helpe them to heaven therefore when the wife shall admonish the husband and hee doe not regard but despise and neglect it Pilate shall rise up in judgement against him and condemne him at the day of judgement Secondly when it was as he sate in judgement it was a very fit time a good season as David bad his servants say to Nabal 1 Sam. 25. Wee came in a good season so it is a good season to stoppe a man in sinne when hee is about the doing of it so the Angell of the Lord stopped Ioseph Matth. 1. when he thought to have put Mary away secretly so Gen. 20. when Abimelech thought to have taken Abrahams wife saith the Lord unto him thou art but a dead man it is a good thing then to admonish one of sinne when they be about doing of it Thirdly the tenor of the message have thou nothing to doe with this just man If a man be a just man and an innocent man let us take heed how wee have to deale with him or doe him any wrong or any hurt Psal 37. It is a note of a wicked man that he persecutes the godly man for if a man be a just and godly man then there is matter enough for them but we must take heed wee doe them no harme or wrong a man may handle gold Oare iron as long as it remaines in his owne nature but if the nature of fire be put to it then if we handle it it will burne us so we may deale with men as long as they remaine in their owne nature but if once they have the nature of God take heed how we deale with them lest it happen unto us as Revel 11. 5. it is said of the two Prophets that if any man hurt them fire shall come out of their mouthes and destroy them The fourth reason was Because she had suffered many things in a dreame touching him this is the property of a good conscience to bee moved and stirred by the judgements of God it is a wofull thing when his judgements be upon us yet we are not moved and stirred at them when hee shall take away our wives our children our cattell or our goods and yet wee bee not moved at it If a Physition give a man Physicke the next question that he will aske him when hee comes to him is whether his physicke did worke or no if it did not worke and stirre the humours it is twenty to one but the party will dye so the judgements of God are his physicke and if they doe move and stirre us there is some good hope but if they doe not move and work upon us there is danger twentie to one but we shall be more afflicted or die therefore it is a pitifull thing that Gods judgements be upon us in this unseasonable weather and yet we are not moved and stirred by them nor drawne unto repentance to returne to God the Lord complaines of this Ier. 5. Thou hast stricken them but they have not sorrowed And Zephan 3. Every morning doth he bring his judgements to light and yet the wicked will not learne to be ashamed It is a good thing to be afflicted with the judgements of God as Numb 21. the people come to Moses and desire him to pray to God to take away the firy Serpents not desiring to have their sins taken away therefore when that judgement was at an end they had a greater and so had no rest till the Lord had destroyed them so men doe now when the judgements of God be upon them then they pray to have sicknesse famine scarcitie and unseasonable weather taken away from them but never pray to God to have their sins taken away to give them repentance and therefore when one judgement is at an end it it the beginning of a greater the Lord will never rest till hee hath destroyed us if wee doe not repent us of all our sinnes and turne to him in the truth of our hearts This must teach Christians that have more light and knowledge than they had or than Pilate had to take heed that they doe not sinne against their conscience Pilate had
it I And so true faith doth apply the word particularly to themselves historical faith doth not so but is like the Apothecaries boy that gathered herbes and simples for other mens diseases and not for his owne even so many men gather good things out of the word and others have the benefit of it and they have none all their comfort hangs on this to talke and speake of the judgements of God and of the good things that be in Him but it goes no further it doth not apply home the word and therefore it is another kinde of faith that wee must looke and labour for The second kinde is Temporary faith this kinde goes further than the first did For it doth not onely assent to the word of God that it is true but doth particularly apply it in part and there is also some unsoundnesse left behinde it this kinde of faith is spoken of in Matthew 13. 20. it is said to be the stony ground that brings forth fruit for a time all is not well with them for they do not continue they go away This is the common faith of the world to heare the word of God to apply it in some part so farre as it goeth with them but if it crosse them then it faileth and is carried away with the sway of corruption in them that as the weeds eate out the heart of the corne so corruption eateth out the heart of their saith Now it is called Temporary faith c. 1. Because it ariseth from Temporary causes 2. Because it is but of Temporarie continuance The temporary causes are three first because that men have a desire to get knowledge above the rest and to keepe Table-talke and to put downe others when they bee in company The second is to keepe credit with the world they would not be counted odde men and to bee pointed at this is the reason why Simon Magus Act. 8. beleeved became a great man in the world because he would not be pointed at or counted an odde man The third cause is worldly ease and benefit there is somewhat to bee gotten by it or some are afraide that if they doe not so as others doe they shall bee brought in danger of the Law As Iohn 6. 26. the people followed Christ but it was to be fed of him and in Numbers wee see the hope of liberty and the priviledges that the Israelites had made other to joyne with them So likewise Hester 8. 17. Many of the people of the land became Iewes for the feare of the Iewes fell upon them but wee must have a better ground than this if ever wee will be saved or blessed of God and saved at the day of judgement Secondly it is called temporary faith because it is but of temporary continuance for a time it is stony and hard at the bottome it doth not hold because it hath no roote it wants a roote of judgement and roote of affection First it wants a roote of judgement because they beleeve as others do and never heard otherwise they doe not beleeve it because God hath taught and revealed it therefore they are in danger to fall away but if they beleeved it because God hath spoken it and it is his will it is not all the world that could beare them over in it This wee see in the Primitive Church and in Queene Maries daies that the great Doctors and Schollers could not over-beare them although they were but poore men because they were rooted in judgment therefore if men will hold out unto the end they must labour to have this roote in judgement Psal 85. The prophet David saith I will hearken what God saith I will not hearken what the world my corruptions nor what men say but I will hearken what God saith Secondly in regard of affection a man must love the word esteeme it and set a high price upon it or else hee may well have a roote of judgement but no roote of affection and there will be no continuance and therefore dost thou love it and regard it be ready to apply it to thy selfe joy in it as the chiefest treasure and count it as the greatest blessing and be contented to part and to let all goe in regard of it Thirdly Miraculous Faith is a perswasion that God will use some men for some excellent worke to worke some miraculous thing this kind of Faith was in Iudas and many such others that Christ will say unto at the last day Depart from mee yee workers of iniquitie As what is it to cast out the divell and not to cast out a mans owne sinnes what is it to clense a Leper and yet cannot clense our selves from our corruptions to raise the dead and thou to lie still in thy sinnes to give sight to the blind and thou not see the good things of God to open the eares of the deafe and thou wilt not have thine eares open to heare the good things of God And therefore if thou hast justifying Faith to cast out thy sinnes corruptions thou hast a more excellent gift than to worke miracles to raise the dead to clense the soule Leper to give sight to the blind to make the dumbe to speake the lame to goe the deafe to heare for thou shalt goe to heaven when they they shall goe to hell Wee see Luk. 10. 17. c. When Christ had sent out his Disciples to cast out divells at their returne they came againe rejoycing and told him that the spirits were subdued through his name they rejoyced but our Saviour bids them not to rejoyce at this but rejoyce that their names were written in heaven And therefore if thou hast by true faith cast out thy sinnes if thou canst cast up thine eyes of faith to heaven and there behold and see thy name written this shall bee greater comfort to thee than the casting out divells The fourth kind of saith is true Iustifying and saving faith all is nothing without this faith in Christ this it is that must justifie and sanctifie fie us which faith is an assent to the whole word of God to make use of it to ourselves and a particular application of the promises of God made untous in Christ wherein we stand perswaded of our reconciliation in the blood of Christ Now there be three things required in this justifying and saving faith First there must be an assent to the whole word of God for it doth not beleeve God in one point and not in another but it beleeves the whole word of God The schoole-men say a true beleever maks no choice what point he will beleeve if God hath revealed them he will beleeve them all it is said 2 Cor. 10. 5. Casting downe the imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivitie every thought to the obedience of Christ it doth so bring under and captivate his wits that whatsoever Christ
God so we should returne all to him againe by publike thankefulnesse for them as Paul saith in this place that we should turne from these vaine idols to the living God that made heaven and earth the sea and all that therein is because he made them therefore we should goe backe againe in the consideration of it and returne thankes to him Thirdly seeing God made all things wee should not looke upon his workes without great consideration of them as his workes of mercy or judgement If a workeman make an excellent worke it is a great indignity and injury offered to the workeman to passe by it slight it not to looke on it or regard it so seeing the Lord hath hanged as it were the chamber of this world with many goodly workes of his mercy and judgements it is a great injury and indignity offered unto God for men to passe by them and never to looke upon them so God complaines Psal 28. 5. Because they regard not the workes of the Lord nor the operations of his hands therefore hee shall breake them downe and not build them up so it is a great sinne to passe by his wonderous workes and not to looke upon them and consider of them The third point is how hee made them By no instrument but by his word as Psal 33. 6. By the word of the Lord were the heavens and all the hoast of them by the breath of his mouth Now wee are not to thinke it was a vocall word of God but it was his commandement Psal 33. 9. For he spake and it was done hee commanded and it stood or was created So Psal 148. 5. Hee commanded and they were created Solomon when hee builded the Temple had thousands of workmen to doe it but God when hee made the world made it with his word therefore we may see the excellent power of the word of God that let him but speake and there is a new heaven and an earth and a sea and skie and beasts and birds for the use of man Therefore the Centurion saith well Matthew 8. Doe but speake the word and thy servant shall be whole So we must learne to acknowledge the excellent power of the word of God that if hee say to sicknesse depart it shall depart if to health come it shall come looke what God speaketh shall be done as it is said in the Psalme he sent out his word and healed them Secondly seeing God made the world with a word wee may wonder at our untowardnesse that there is never a creature save man but doth yeeld to the Word of God the Lord hath spoken ten words in his Law nay many more in the gospell unto us and yet what adoe is there an almighty power must ioyne with the word to bring a sinner to repentance therefore wee may wonder at our untowardnesse that the creatures yeeld to the word of God and yet sinfull man cannot submit to a thousand words of God to bring him to repentance The fourth point is what hee made the world of and that was of nothing Hebrewes 11. 3. Through faith wee understand that the world was made by the Word of God so that the things wee see were made of things that did not appeare Philosophers say of nothing nothing can hee made It is true in Nature but not in regard of Gods power In Nature indeede there is no Artificer that can make any thing unlesse he hath matter to make it of as a Smith cannot worke without Iron and a Mason must have stone and a Carpenter must have timber but God is able to make all things of nothing The use is first that seeing God did make the world of nothing hee is able to make a man somewhat when he is nothing he is able to give grace where there is none to create faith where there is no faith and to worke repentance where there is none so saith Paul 2 Cor. 4. 6. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkenesse hath shined into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ And therefore if God be able to make the world of nothing he is able to make a man something that is nothing in himselfe Secondly seeing God is able to make the world of nothing he is able when we are nothing in our worldly estates to raise us up of nothing and to make us great men in the world so faith Hanna 1 Sam. 2. 6 7. The Lord killeth maketh alive bringing downe to the grave and raising up the Lord maketh poore and maketh rich bringeth low and exalieth he raiseth the poore out of the dust and lifteth up the begger from the dunghill to set them amongst Princes Thirdly seeing God made the world of nothing so let us know the world would dissolve and come to nothing againe if God should not uphold it for naturally all things dissolve into that they were made of as a man made of dust so naturally turnes and comes to dust againe so Ice being made of water it turnes to water againe and Snow being made of raine it dissolves to it againe so the world being made of nothing would come to nothing if God should not uphold it Therefore how much are wee bound to God for every houres continuance of this world which Heb. 1. 3. is said to be upheld by his mighty power and word Fourthly seeing he made the world of nothing wee may see the meanes of our beginning that it was of nothing and therefore howsoever some swell with greatnesse of their Ancestors and of their Nobility yet we see the meannesse of our beginning wee came of nothing therefore this may serve to humble us how great soever we be Abraham hee confessed he was but dust this did humble him and were know the dust was made of nothing which should serve to humble us in that all our greatnesse came of nothing The fifth point is â— what estate God made this world in in exceeding good estate Genesis 1. 25. therefore if there be any creature that is not good or hath any defect in it we are to thanke our selves and our owne sinnes as we see in a clocke if there be any alteration or stop in the little wheeles it is because there was first a stop in the great wheeles for the little ones doe depend on the greater wheele so that if there bee a stand in that there is a stand in the little wheeles in like manner if there be any defect in the creatures or if there be any that be not good it is because there is a defect and a failing in us for man is as the great wheele of the Clocke therefore if hee bee out of order no marvell though the creatures be so also Hence we may learne that if there be any which be not good or have defect in them wee may
the light of Nature wee have the light of Gods grace it it a fearefull thing when a man shall sinne against his conscience though a man sinne of weaknesse and of infirmity yet let us take heed we sinne not against conscience for what a pitifull thing is it that a mans conscience shall say as the Lepers said O we doe not well that we doe so I doe not well to sin to sweare to prophane the Sabbaths I doe not well to nourish any sin to backbite my neighbours It is a fearefull thing to sin against conscience all other accusers one thing or other will stop them either bribes or favour or fiendship or intreatie or flattery but there is nothing that will stop the accusing of evill conscience neither bribes nor flattery nor friendship nor intreaty Revel 20. 12. conscience is compared to a booke that all things are written in when there is question about a debt come to the booke and that doth manifest the matter so there is a question whether thou hast sinned or not come to thy conscience and that will resolve thee all thy sins are written there although thou doe not see nor feele them yet at the Iudgement day when the booke shall bee opened then all shall bee manifest as if they were but new committed Secondly other accusers doe accuse us but certaine times either at Terme time or when anger is stirred but an accusing conscience will give them no peace at any time the worme of conscience wil torment a man at all times in the night and in the day when hee is in company and when he is alone Thirdly other accusers a man may flie from for if they be in one country hee may flie into another country but there is no man can flie from the accusing of an evill conscience unlesse a man flie from himselfe Augustine saith all other plagues a man may fly from from the famine from the envie of man from the pestilence he may flie but he can never from an evill conscience Man saith he get thee into thy chamber or into the secretest place that may bee and although thou shut the doore yet thou canst not shut out the accusing of an evill conscience unlesse thou shut up thy selfe If a man were in a close chamber full of small lights and there were in the same roome one great light though he should put out all the other and leave but this one yet that were sufficient to disclose and to lay open his shame so in the chamber of this world there be a number of lights if all should be put out and there be left this great light of a mans conscience this is sufficient to discover and to lay open a mans shame Thirdly The strange silence of Christ that answered nothing though Pilate did urge him and it did concerne his life therefore the more ready he should have been as one would have thought to defend himselfe for naturally men are ready to defend their lives as the Devill saith of Iob all that a man hath will hee give for his life But see Christ was silent which shewes how ready he was to lay downe his life for us and how willingly this was the reason why Christ was silent and said nothing here we may see the great love of Christ that whereas we should have lost our lives have perished in hell for ever hee was contented to lay downe his life for us Now Christ hath not laid downe his life onely that wee should lay downe our lives for him againe but that we should lay downe our sinnes he was willing to part with his life and wee are not willing to part with our sins for his sake Hester 6. when Ahashuerosh could not sleepe in the night time he cals to a servant to reade in the Chronicles and then found what Mordecai had done in preserving of his life and so makes this inquiry But what honour and dignity hath there been done to Mordecai for it So when a Christian cannot sleepe in his bed hee should be thinking how willing Christ was to lay down his life for him he should make this enquiry what honour and dignitie have I done unto Christ for it Augustine saith this is the reasoning betwixt Christ and us O man wilt thou make a change with me wilt thou forgoe thy sinnes and take my bloud take the merit of my death and I will take the punishment of thy sinnes Fourthly His protestation and confession that hee is the Sonne of God for when Pilate heard that he was afraid that God was ingaged against him and to oppose himselfe against God he was loth this it was that made him to stop and stay the reverence hee had to the name of Christ O that we Christians had this reverence to the name of God that it might stop and â—â—ay us in the course of sinne Pilate was stayed at the mention of the name of God but we heare of the name of God every day from day to day and yet it cannot stop us in the course of our sinnes we see Gen. 39. 9. that the reverent awe that Ioseph had of the name of God kept him from sinning against God so David Psal 21. 22. Because I kept the wayes of the Lord I did not wickedly against my God for all his lawes were before me and I did not cast his Commandements from me And so here Pilate an Heathen did reverence the name of God this it was that stopped him and made him stand so fast for Christ Fifthly The holy commination of Christ saith hee Hee that delivered mee to thee hath the greater sinne There is no man that can have his hand in the death of Christ but he must needs sinne This was it that made Pilate a Heathen man loth to condemne Christ be cause he should sinne against God This must teach us that when wee heare it is a sinne to sweare or lye not to doe it though it be to save a mans life Wee have heard it is a sinne to prophane the Sabbath to mispend the time wickedly and yet neverthelesse dare we goe on and doe it Surely Pilate shall rise up in judgement against us at the last day and condemne us for it We see 1 Sam. 14. 33. when Saul heard that the people had sinned in eating of blood hee laboured to stoppe and to stay them O that there were such affection in Christians to labour to stoppe others but especially themselves in the course of sin For it is Gods great mercie that any thing comes in the way to stoppe or stay us in the course of sinne whether it bee our conscience or the admonitions of our wives or any thing else The Philosophers say that the upper Heavens would set all the world together if they were not staid by the nether but whether that be true or no this is that there is such greedinesse in man to commit sinne that
see in experience if a man have a weighty matter to try in the court of justice if he heare the chiefe of his counsell is become the Iudge hee that was his advocate and pleaded the matter a long time he hopes that it will goe well with him so wee have a weighty matter to try in the court of Heaven it concernes our life and salvation and Christ hee that was the chiefe of our counsell is become our Iudge he that was our advocate and pleaded our matter a long time before God this may give us comfort that it shall goe well with us Saint Ierome saith well the day shall come when the whole world shall weepe and waile and mourne and grieve when thou that art a Christian shalt bee glad and rejoyce when Plato and Aristotle and others shall say we did not know him and the Iewes we tooke him for a bare man the Gentiles we thought it silly to beeleeve in One that died upon the crosse and the cold Christians shall say wee have loved the world and have not regarded him then the true Christians shall comfortably say This is our Saviour and Redeemer this is our God and we have waited for him The third point the place where he shall judge us The place is to be considered two waies generally and particularly generally the place where wee shall bee judged is in this earth therefore wee say in the Articles of our Christian saith from thence hee shall come to judge both the quicke and the dead and Act. 11. 1. the Angels tell us that this Iesus which is taken from you into heaven shall so come as yee have seene him goe into heaven so also Iude 24. Henoch tels us that the Lord shall come with thousand of his Saints to give judgement against all men so that this world is the place of judgment and moreover I will prove it by these two reasons First because this is the ordinary course of Iustice for where men commit their offences in the same places they are judged as wee see in the same countries where men have done their faults there the Assises are kept so seeing we have sinned against God in this earth here wee shall be judged as 1 Sam. 7. 6. it is said Samuel went about yeare by yeare to Bethel Gilgal and Mizpeh and judged Israel in all those places Secondly because it is the fittest and meetest place for it it cannot bee in hell or in Heaven not in Heaven because the unjust cannot come there not in hell because the just cannot come thither as we see Luk. 16. 26. Abraham saith to Dives Betweene you and us there is a great gulfe set so that they which would goe from hence to you cannot neither can they come from thence to us and therefore seeing they which are in heaven cannot come in hell and they which bee in hell cannot come to Heaven there must bee a middle place to judge the world in and that is this earth Now there be two uses to be made of this point 1. A terrour to the wicked 2. A comfort to the godly First it shall bee a terrour to the wicked to bee judged in the same place where they dishonored God and blasphemed his Name and where they have committed most grievous sinnes in the sight of their fine houses gallant gardens friends and acquaintance they shall bee judged if it were in a corner that no body should see them their griefe were the lesse or if it were in a farre country but seeing it shall bee in this world where they have sinned against God in the sight of their friends and acquaintance this shall be the greater terrour as Hest 7. 11. Haman was hanged on the gallowes which he had set up for Mordecai it had bin shame enough for him to have died in another place but to dye at his owne house in the sight of his wife and children servants and by the meanes of his goods this made his terrour the greater so the wicked shall be judged here in this world in the sight of their wives and children and in the sight of their friends and acquaintance this makes for the terrour of them Secondly comfort to the godly that in the same place where they have beene despised and and disgraced there they shall be honoured Iosephs honour was the greater that he was advanced in the same place where he was a poore slave therefore it shall be for the comfort of the godly that they shall be judged in the place where they have beene disgraced It was the manner of the Romans in their triumphs that they began in some private place without the city and thence went into every street till they came in the high and capitall streets so the people of God have their honour begun in this world whence the Lord doth carrie them thorough the clouds and firie region till hee bring them to the capitall street to heaven this is a great comfort to the godly where they have beene disgraced and despised there they be honoured SERMON XLIII ACTS 17. 3â— 3â— But now commandeth all men every where to repent Because hee hath appointed a day in the which hee will judge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordained WEE spake the last day concerning the last judgement of the place where it shall be all Divines agree that the place in generall shall be on the earth not in heaven nor in hell nor in any remote place out of knowledge but in this earth where wee have passed our daies and where wee have sinned against God therefore according to our usuall phrase in the Creed it is said from thence he shall come David saith of his childe 2 Sam. 12. 23. I shall goe to him but he shall not returne to me but it is not a sure thing that wee shall goe first to Christ till he come to us So in generall we all agree that in this earth shall be erected a glorious throne for Iesus Christ to sit upon and to judge the whole world where we have lived and where wee have passed our daies where we have sinned and dishonoured God The Uses whereof were matter of terrour and matter of comfort which I handled then therefore I proceed To the particular In what place of the world men shall bee judged This is a thing uncertaine and the best Divines hold it cannot be determined out of the Scriptures in what place it shall be but onely by probability Therefore in things of this nature it is good to take Saint Pauls rule Rom. 12. 3. Sapere ad sobrietatem to thinke soberly not above what wee ought to thinke We should not prie and looke into Gods Arke that is into his secret Counsell more than is meete but wee must content our selves with things revealed as Genes 32. 13. Iaakob said of his sheepe that hee would not overdrive them lest they die so
flocke of sheepe the shepheard is awake and the Dog barkes so that the wolfe goeth away doth no harme yet saith hee a wolfe hee came and a wolfe hee goes away in like manner a man may come into a Church amongst Gods people and bee restrained from some sinnes either for feare of men or for feare of the law or of some punishment yet still hee is a wolse hee retaines his wolvish nature a wolfe hee comes and a wolfe hee goes therefore we must not onely restraine sinne but wee must kill and mortifie it Secondly they did refraine from some sinnes and not from all So wee see the Pharisee did refraine from some sinnes but not from all hee was not an extortioner or an unjust man but hee was a proud person a hater of the poore and a contemner of his brethren And so likewise Laban hee refrained from speaking ought but good to Iacob and yet he was an idolater or else hee would not have made such search for his idoles Therefore we must not refraine from some sinnes onely but wholly and universally from all of what kinde soever they bee Thirdly a man may bee inlightned and have a great deale of knowledge hee may know God and Christ what sinne is and punishment due unto it with many other profitable notions and yet want the Spirit of God Hebr. 6. 4. we read that there may be some that may bee inlightened and taste of the word of God and of the powers of the world to come and yet never bee renewed againe by repentance if they fall away so Iudas was a preacher had great knowledge and many good gifts and yet hee was a Devill therefore hee had not the sanctifying Spirit in like manner a man may have great gifts of memory and knowledge have a rare and an excellent gift in preaching and neverthelesse want the sanctitie of the Holy Ghost Here because illumination and knowledge is a gift of the Spirit of God and a thing to bee desired and labored for as S. Paul exhorts the Colossians to put off the old man and to put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge therefore I say because knowledge is a gift of the Spirit let us see what is the defect of this illumination and knowledge To this I answer There are two defects in it First men doe not labor for the right kinde of knowledge And secondly they doe not make a right use of their knowledge First men did not labour for a right kinde of knowledge For there are two kindes of knowledge First speculative Secondly practicall knowledge speculative knowledge is to know things to discourse of them and to make table-talke and to speake of them practicall knowledge is to know things to put them in practise that they may bee layd to their hearts and to their lives to bee reformed thereby Now let us all labour for this last kinde of knowledge and not for the first and this is the first defect of mans knowledge Secondly that men doe not make a right use of their knowledge they doe not apply it to their hearts and to their lives for the bettering and reforming of them for it is a sure thing we can have no more comfort of our knowledge than so farre as we put it in practise A man may have a flint stone in his pocket and yet bee a cold if hee doth not make use of it to strike fire so a man may have knowledge and have no comfort by it unlesse he make use of it to the bettering of himselfe Therefore it must bee our wisedome that when we have knowledge to bee sure to apply it to our hearts and to our lives for the bettering of both Fourthly a man may have a kinde of repentance hee may bee humbled for his sinnes cry out against them confesse them and weepe for them and yet neverthelesse want the Holy Ghost as Pharoah Exod. 9. 27. said to Moses and to Aaron I have now sinned the Lord is Righteous but I and my people are wicked Heere wee see that Pharoah saw his sinnes confessed them and yet hee had not the sanctifying spirit so Saul 1 Sam. 24. 17. where of him it is said and Saul lift up in his voyce and wept and said to David Thou art more righteous than I for thou hast rendred mee good and I have rendred thee evill so also of Iudas Matth. 27. 3. it is said Then when Iudas which betrayed him saw that hee was condemned hee repented him and brought back the thirty peeces of silver to the chiefe Priests and Elders saying I have sinned in betraying the innocent blood So then we see a man may repent of his sinnes confesse them bee humbled and weepe for them and yet want the Holy Ghost Now seeing repentance is a good gift of the spirit let us see what is the defect I answer it is in three things First these men did weepe and sorrow more for the judgment that was like to come upon them than for the hatred of the sinne So wee see Ahab did weepe and cry out when the judgment was pronounced against him by the Prophet and yet his repentance was faltie Secondly they did weepe for one and not for all their sinnes so we see Iudas did hee repented this one sinne of the betraying of Christ and had a number of other sinnes hee never repented of so Pharoah hee repented of this one sinne of detayning and holding back of the Children of Israel but did not repent of his other sinnes Thirdly They did weepe for their outward sinnes and not for their inward corruption Therefore thou whosoever thou art must labour of finde in thy selfe whether thou mournest for the hatred of sinne or for feare of Gods judgment if it bee for feare of punishment and for feare of Hell thou canst not have any comfort but if it bee for the hatred of sinne because it is displeasing to God thou mayest have comfort therefore as Augustine saith shew mee the man first that can weepe and mourne for sinne though hee knowes that God will not damne him that hell is shut up and the Divell shall not torment him this man may especially have comfort Secondly that so repents for one sinne as that hee drawes in all his sinnes as far as judgment informes him Thirdly that is humbled not onely for his outward sinnes but especially for his inward corruption Thus wee see Paul did Rom. 7. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from this body of sinne If thou canst finde these three things in thy repentance thou mayest have comfort in it Fifthly a man may have a kinde of love to heaven a desire to be saved and to behold God in glory and yet may want the holy Ghost Two examples wee have of it first of Balaam Numb 23. 10. who